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NEWS & LETTERS, September-October 2005Stop rape in PakistanNew York--The "Rally for Women's Rights, Lives and Voices" here Sept. 17, called by the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Women and Amnesty International, protested visiting Pakistani President Musharraf, who defends Pakistan's woman-hating laws and policies. Feminists and Pakistani-American women and men came from the U.S. and Canada to protest at his hotel and demand justice for women. We chanted "shame on you" in Urdu and "women's rights are human rights." We heard stories of rape, "honor" killings, acid attacks, domestic violence, and jailings and torture meted out to those who pursue justice. Mukhtar Mai, or Bibi, who pursued those who gang-raped her on orders of her village council (see July-August N&L), sent a written statement: "When the head of state makes a derogatory statement about rape, it really hurts us....A poor woman has just her honor, and why would she want to auction off her honor?...General Musharraf gave a statement that he is looking for evidence for my case. What more evidence do they want? It has been three years and I have not gotten justice. Those women who kill themselves after rape, do they get justice? ....Women of the world have to unite and fight against violence. We have to unite regardless of race, religion and country. We must raise our voices!" Sunita Mehta of Women for Afghan Women said: "We insist on the unity of women across and within borders, regardless of race or class. The young Black women raped in New Orleans after the hurricane, the Indian women in dowry deaths, the Pakistanis killed or with acid thrown in their faces, the Afghan women who are so tortured in their family lives that they choose suicide--the manner is different, but the violence is the same." Prof. Sadia Toor of Pakistani Activists for Gender Equality said: "Musharraf says women who complain of violence in Pakistan are after money or travel....Pakistan is dishonored, that's because misogyny operates not only in society, but on all levels of the state." --Anne Jaclard |
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